Dual Screens
Dual Screens are a shielding technology used by the UPT Space Force. Developed as part of the XM Project in which they are XM 002, they are based on the Pokemon moves Reflect and Light Screen. Dual Screens are considered the most "normal" shields employed by the UPT Space Force, and since their introduction have supplanted the Metaphasic Shields as the most important shielding system on UPT spacecraft. Principles Inside the Dual Screens, the whole craft is dual defended - like it's sealed inside a bubble. It's not a bubble, but just think of a bubble. An incoming shot strikes the bubble, which deforms inwards, reducing the shot's momentum as it does so. For a massive projectile, this is accomplished by slowing the projectile down, handled by the Reflect component of the Dual Screens. For a massless particle this is accomplished by redshifting it, handled by the Light Screen component. It was originally believed that Reflect and Light Screen affected fermions and bosons respectively, in common with how most other XMs and AXMs relate the Pokemon concepts of physical and special to quantum mechanics, however this was disproven in experiments with the massive W and Z bosons. Conservation of momentum and Newton's third law both apply to the Dual Screens, and it is these considerations that limit the momentum they can defend against. The force the spacecraft can exert on an incoming shot is limited by the acceleration the spacecraft can withstand, considering the spacecraft's own mass. The impulse exerted on the shot, which is equal to its change in momentum, depends on this force, the shot's speed, and the distance the Dual Screens extend from the object they are shielding. If the momentum of a shot exceeds the maximum impulse the Dual Screens can exert on it, then the remaining momentum will strike the next defensive system. For a shot travelling at ultrarelativistic speeds, momentum is directly proportional to energy, and the energy the Dual Screens can defend against is given by E = mas Where E'' is the energy, ''m is the mass of the spacecraft, a'' the maximum acceleration the spacecraft can withstand, and ''s the distance the Dual Screens have available to exert their force over. Having transferred the momentum of a shot safely to the spacecraft, the Dual Screen "bubble" will be distorted from its normal spherical shape, bowed inwards at the point the shot impacted. To regain its full defensive capabilities, it must return to its normal shape, doing so at the speed of light. The length of time this takes is called the relaxation time, and is given by t = s/c Where t'' is the relaxation time, ''s is as before the distance the Dual Screens can distort, and c is the speed of light. The relaxation time along with the per-shot (or salvo of simultaneous shots) maximum energy thus account for the short-term limits on the Dual Screen's defensive capabilities. Implementation In common with other devices from the XM Project, the Dual Screen Generators used on large craft are large modules. A single spacecraft may only have a single Dual Screen Generator in operation at a time, although it may carry inactive backups. In order to better distribute the forces involved, the UPT Space Force Development Division worked with the XM Project to develop Dual Screen Anchors, which link up with the generator to act as points to take the reaction forces from the Dual Screens, although they do not project the screens themselves. Dual Screen Anchors are likewise large modules, and a spacecraft may carry any number of them. On small craft, Dual Screens are presently not employed. Dual Screens are projected to around 10 hull radii beyond the next defensive system inwards, which is typically the One Way Armour. They are unable to work properly in conjunction with the inertial dampers, and thus the maximum acceleration the spacecraft can withstand from the Dual Screens is that handleable by its physical structure. At the envisioned 1000g acceleration in question, Dual Screens can handle energies ranging from around 1 sy for small destroyers to 100 megasy for battleships. Category:UPT